Mixing device



July 14, 1936. w. VAN GUILD'ER MIXING DEVICE Filed May 23, 1935 I Inventor: Waiter Vah Guild His Attorney.

Patented July 14, 1936,

MIXING DEVICE Waiter Van Guilder, Oak Park, 111., or to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York ApplicatiomMay 1935, Serial No. 22.993

4 Claims. 01. ass-102) This invention relates to mixing devices, more particularly to power operated food mixing devices, and it has for its object the provision of an improved beating tool in devices of this character.

In one of its aspects, this invention contemplates the provision of an improved mixing tool provided with suitable beating elements and arranged so that the tool automatically selects the correct beating or mixing speed for the elements responsively to the consistency of the material being mixed.

In accordance with this invention, the mixing tool, in one form thereof, is provided with a driving shaft which is arranged to be driven by the mixing machine that usually is provided with an electric motor for operating the shaft. One or morkpreferably twobeating elements are mounted to rotate in a suitable supporting yoke, which in tum'is ,arranged to rotate about the driving shaft as an axis. The driving shaft is positively connected, as by gearing, to the beating elements so that when the shaft is operated the beating elements will be rotated on their own axes in theyoke. Moreover, the yoke will be rotated about the driving shaft as an axis due to the resistance of the material being beaten to the rotation of the beating elements. The speeds of rotation of the beating elements and of the, yoke depend upon the consistency of the' material being worked. i

For a more complete understanding of thi invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. I is an end elevation of a mixing device provided with a beating tool arranged in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical elevation, partly in section, of a beating tool arranged in accordance with this invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with certain parts'of the tool removed so as to illustrate certain structural details; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the beating tool.

Referring to the drawing, this invention has been shown in one form as applied to a mixing tool i comprising a pair of heating elements 1]. Y The heating elements II are rotatably mounted in a suitable supporting yoke l2. As shown, each beating element ll comprises a pair of wire loops l3 and I4 arranged at right angles to each other, and rigidly secured to each other at their upper and lower ends. At their lower ends, the loops preferably are secured by spot welding, while the upper ends, of the loops are secured to a driving hub IS. The loops l3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are considerably wider than the loops ll.

The hubs I5 are rotatably mounted upon stud shafts l6 that are rigidly secured to the yoke l2. For this purpose, the upper ends of the stud shafts are received in suitable bores I! provided for them in the yoke, and are provided with rough knurled portions l8 arranged to coact with the metal walls of the yoke to prevent movement of the shafts l6 relative to the yoke.

Mounted upon each of the hubs I5 is a driving gear 19. It will be understood that the gears iii are rigidly secured to the hubs so as to rotate with them. The lower ends of the hubs pass through suitable apertures provided for them in the loops l3 and I4, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and are provided on their lower'ends beneath the loops with shoulders 20. Resting upon the shoulders 20 below the loops are washers 2| and mounted above the loops are second washers 22. Between these washers and the gears l9 are suitable spacer sleeves 23. The'upper end of each hub is provided with a flange 24 which bears against the gear l9. In, view of the foregoing arrangement, it will be observed that the hubs l5 are rigidly secured to the beater elements II and to the driving gears IQ for the beater elements. The lower ends of the driving hubs l5 and the shafts l6 are closed by means of suitable covers 25.

Preferably and as shown, the yoke will be so arranged that its walls define a chamber 28' in which the gears l9 are rotatably mounted.

Also mounted within this housing is a main driving gear 21 which is rigidly secured to the driving shaft 28.

The yoke 12 is provided-with bearings 29 to rotate upon the shaft 28. The bearings 29, as shown, are arranged in a bore 38,.each bearing being provided with a flange 3| fitted over the ends of the bore, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper bearing 29, as viewed in Fig. 2, is heldwithin the bore by means of a collar 32 rigidly secured to the shaft 28, while the lower bearing is secured in place by means of the driving gear 21. For this purpose, the end of the driving shaft 28 is pro? vided with a threaded portion 38 which receives a nut 3|. The nut 34, as shown, secures the gear 21 to the driving shaft. The nut also has a noncircular cross-section, such as a rec jn's'lfl r section, which is received inan aperture of corre- As shown, the beating elements are arranged to rotate on axes substantially parallel with each other and with the axis of the shaft 28, and substantially equidistant from the axis of shaft 28.

In the particular tool shown, the shaft 28 drives the gear 21 in a clockwise direction looking upwardly at the gear, as indicated by the arrow, in Fig. 4, while the gears i9 are driven in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows associated with them. When the heating elements are rotated in this direction, the tendency is for the yoke I2 to rotate in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the dotted circle in Fig. 4 and the arrow associated with it.

The lower ends of the beating elements are supported in spaced relation relative to each other by means of a wire supporting member 35. The wire supporting member is provided at its ends with up-turned portions 38, as shown in Fig. 2, received in suitable apertures provided for them in the lower ends of the loops l3 and It.

The chamber 28 is closed by a cover 31 which, as shown, is provided with apertures for receiving the spacer sleeves 23. The cover is made in two parts 31a and 31b (Fig. 3), each of which is secured to the yoke l2 by means of a snap spring 38 secured to the housing and engaging ears 310 provided on the cover member.

The driving shaft 28 may be driven by any suit! able power driven mixing device, such as that shown in Fig. 1. As shown, in this figure, there is provided a housing 39 in which a suitable operating motor (not shown) is mounted. This motor drives a flexible shaft 48 mounted in a suitable casing 4|. The shaft 28 is arranged to be mechanically connected to the operating shaft 48 by any suitable mechanical connection 42. the

details of which form no part of this invention, and which have not been shown in detail.

Associated with the power device 39 is a suitable receptacle 43 in which the beater tool I0 is arranged to operate.

In the operation of the device, it will be under-- stood that the driving shaft 28 will be driven from themotor mounted in the base 39 through the flexible shaft 40. When the shaft 28 is operated, it will of course operate the driving gear 21, which in turn will operate the gears l9 secured to the beater elements I I, and the yoke l2 due to the reaction of the food being mixed on the beater elements I I.

In other words, the driving torque of the shaft 28 is divided into a force applied to rotate the yoke l2. about the shaft 28 as an axis, which of course swings the beater elements Ii as a whole about the shaft 28 as an axis, and a second force applied to rotate the beater elements about their own axes on the shafts I8. The speed-of rotation of the beater elements on their own axes, and that ofthe yoke l2 on the shaft 28 as an axis will depend upon the consistency of the material being beaten. Thus for example, if the beater is operating in a mixture having a very light consistency, the resistance against rotation of the entire tool including the yoke l2, together with. the beater elements I I mounted thereon, around the shaft 28 as an axis will be very slight, and consequently, the beater elements I I will be swung around in the bowl 83 at practically the speed of the driving shaft 28, and will rotate at a very.

slow speed on their own axes. However, if the mixture is thickened, the resistance to rotation of the entire unit on the shaft 28 becomes greater,

and as a result, the yoke slows down and the rotation of the beaters H on their own axes increases. 'If the mixture be made still thicker, the yoke will slow down still more, while the speed of the beater elements will increase proportionately.

The operation of the beating tool depending 5 upon the consistency of the material being beaten affords a safety device which prevents over-loading of the motor driving the shaft 28, because when the mixturebecomes very heavy it merely means that the beating elements II will rotate at a higher speed on their own axes while the yoke I2 will slow down.

Furthermore, it will be observed that the beating tool automatically selects the most eflicient speed for beating as well as requiring the minimum power.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore. contemplate by the appended'claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mixing device comprising a driving shaft, means for driving said shaft, a beating element adapted to act upon materials to be mixed, 9. support for said heating element, a shaft on said support mounting said beating element for rotation on said support on an axis removed from the axis of said driving shaft, means mounting said suppport for free rotation about said shaft as an axis, and means mechanically connecting said beating element with said driving shaft so that said element will be positively driven on its shaft by rotation of said driving shaft and said supporting means is driven on said driving shaft as an axis due to the reaction of said materials on said beating element at speeds dependent upon the consistency of said material.

2. In a mixing device provided with an operating shaft, a beating tool adapted to act upon material to be mixed comprising a driving shaft adapted to be driven by said operating shaft, a support journaled on said driving shaft for free rotation thereon, beating elements mounted on said support for rotation on axes symmetrically arranged with reference to the axis of rotation of said driving shaft and of said support on said driving shaftand gearing between said beating elements and said driving shaft whereby said elements are positively driven on their axes in said support by the operation of said driving shaft and said support is rotated on said shaft to move said beating elements bodily around said shaft as an axis due to the reaction of said material on said elements.

3. In a mixing device provided with an operating shaft and means for driving said shaft, a 60 mixing tool comprising a driving shaft adapted to be driven by said operating shaft, a frame journaled on said driving shaft for free rotation relative to said shaft and about said shaft as an axis, a pair of beater elements symmetrically 65 arranged on opposite sides of said shaft and journaled in said frame for rotation on axes parallel with each pther and with the axis of said 'dnving shaft, gears secured to said beater elewalls defining a housing, means journaling said frame for tree rotary motion upon said shait,

a pair of beater elements Journaied in said frame a is positively imparted to said elements to rotate on their own axes in said frame and said frame together with said elements is rotated as a'whole about said shait as an axis due to the reaction of the materials worked upon to the action or said 5 beater elements.

WALTER VAN GUIIDER. 

